Changeable exhibitor



Patented Apr. 8, 1930 J- 33945? E man Quee camer man EXIHBIIQR Application filed January 3,1929. fierial No.

My present invention relates .to improvements in .7 changeable exhibitors of the vman- ,uallly operated, rotatable type, employing a web having itsends attached to rollers soas V to "be wound upon one roller as 'it 1s unwoundrfrom the other, for successively dis playing the signs, characters, advertising matter, or other subjectsmatter displayedon the web. One of the rollers is an automatically operating, spring wound roller which assists in maintaining the web.

stretched taut between the winding and the unwinding roller, and also vre-winds the (web when permitted to do so,.to reversethemovement oftherweb asirequi-red, Theioperating roller'is positively andiintermittently rotated to wind the web thereupon 'against' the tension of the spring controlled or. spring. wound roller, and a'take up device-thatis longitudi nally movable withrelationlto the operating rolleris provided for the operating means toprovide for the intermittentmovement of the operating roller in both a forward (and reverse direction. -Whilethe deviceofvmy: invention is. adapt-. ed for the (display of various of changeable exhibitors, it is particularlydesigned for changingthe streetsigns carried by street railway caes busses; -& c. and the 39 exhibitor is, operated by eithertheconductor or the motormanoflthe vehicle conditionsrequire. p

n e i po lsiet in cer ain novel ,combinations and arrangements ofparts-as will hereinafter be more fully set .forthand claimed. i

In the accompanying drawings -I have illustrated one complete example the.

49 1; physical embodiment otmy'invention where in the parts are combined and arranged ac,- cordingto the bestvmode-I have tl1u s,;fardevised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

' Figure 1 is va face view -.show1ng;:t he

changeable exhibitor installed on a street railway car orbus, andyin position-for use.

Figure 2 is an end View of the device showing also vparts in section representing the front and rear wallsof the vehicle, with the operatingcord extending to'the rear end of the vehicle." 7 Y Figure 3 is asectionalview of the case, at line"33 of Figure 2 showing the Web and operating parts therefor. I

Figure lis an enlarged transverse vertical sectional vview at line44:of Figure 1.

Figure 52'is.an enlargedview at the operating end of" the operating roller, with parts in section.

Eigurefiisa perspective view showing part of the operating means for {the operating roller.

-In .carrying out my invention 1 utilize a pairof parallel Lrollers .as the spring'controlled roller '1 and the operating roller 2 that are, enclosed in the a case or. cabinet 3 and located Q at a. suitable Tplacejn ttheLvehicle for observation by thepassengeraiaso'n theEfront Wall. 4; An operating cord-.fi maybe pulled by, they-motormfan. or driver of a ivehiclehav ing a one-man crew, a twoeman .crew the .cordpasses to ethe.v rear vof thenvehicle,loveroguidezipulleysas 6 to a suitable locationv for-acccssby; thezconduetor. Awindow 7gisiprovided in .the face of the cabinet so that the signsistreet. designations,

or other subject mattfer,:may/successively be displayed from the Web.-8.whichlhasitstends attached rto the respective rollers: 1 and-2.

The spring controlled roller 1'is:of. t'hetype used for automatic Window shades rollers, and-this roller isprovided with a spring indicatedas, 9 for use with the. shaft IOthat is journaledasatl1in the opposite ends of the case or cabinetand squared. at one-end so: that itmay beheld immovableandform an abutment for the spring9, TheV-operating 'roller- 2 is provided with a shaft 1 2thato is jonrnaled in;.bearingsi=1 3in;.-

or with vehicles having roller in one direction, and then to release the web and permit it to be re-wound upon the spring controlled roller, at intervals, as the car travels in the reverse direction over its route.

The operating roller is retained under tension as to its rotary movement so that the web may be stretched taut, with the assistance of the spring controlled roller, at all times, by means ofa friction or tension device, comprising a friction block 14:, which maybe of wood and bears against the shaft of the roller.

The friction block is enclosed in apocket at one end of the case, and a spring 15 holds the block in frictional contact with theshaft,"

an adjusting bolt or screw 16 being used to,

adjust the tension on the shaft. The pocket is closed by an end plate 17 which may be re-.

moved as desired to give access to the friction parts. i

- The block 14 is a friction block in two halves or sections, the upper section being spring.

pressed to maintain an even pressure or tension on the shaft of the roller 2. This tension is sufficient to prevent the spring roller from winding the web back upon itself, when the pawls are reversed to the positions shown in dotted lines in Figure 6, the spring 29 acting on the lower end of the lever 21 will force the roller in the reverse position when the pawl 28 engages any one of the set of lugs 19.

At one end of the operating roller I provide three series of teeth or ratchets 18, 19 and20, that are spaced longitudinally of the roller and arranged approximately 120 degrees apart around the. circumference or outer periphery of the roller. The teeth of each series are stepped back or circumferentially as well as longitudinally, so that by pulling the cord '5 three times the operating means, as a lever 21, is actuated to turn the roller through, one completerevolution, and display three distinct signs on the web at the window 7.

,The signs are displayed, of course in succession, and the number of pulls to a revolution of the operating roller will depend upon the number of streets to be successively displayed, the size of the rollers, the arrangement of the series and the number of the series-of ratchet teeth &c.

The operating lever 21 is supported in pivotal manner by means of a hub 22 which is threaded on the threaded portion 23 of the operating shaft12, and this hub is movable not only throughan are about the shaft, but

the roller, and this lever arm carries two op positely arranged pawls 25 and 28, each pivoted as at 26 on the perpendicular faces of the lever arm, and adapted to be swung on their pivots into operative or inoperative position as indicated by dotted and full lines for the pawl 28 and by full lines and dotted lines for the pawl 25. The pawls are of resilient material, and when turned to operative position, a pawl is located between a pair of guide lugs 27 spaced apart on the lever arm, and in position to co-act with theratchet teeth on the roller. Pawl 25, for instance, may be'used for turning the roller on the out trip of a streetcar, and then pawl 28 is used for the in trip ofthe car, the pawls being snapped intoandout of operative position with relation to the ratchet teeth.

The pawlsare of spring metal, and when a pull is exerted on the cable or cord 5, the pawl 28 will skip over the lugs 19; then :when the cord is released, the pawl 28 will engage a lug 19 and the springs 29 will overcome the spring pressed friction block 14, and turn the roller 2backwa'rds. At the same time the spring rollerl will be allowed to turnand wind the web upon itself. I j

A spring 29 is attached at one end to the operating'lever and at its other end is anchored to a part of the casing 8 to return the lever to operative position after it has been pulled, and to hold the lever in normal position for engagement with the ratchet teeth as indicated in Figure 4. Y

In Figured it. will be apparent that the pawl 25, by contact with the ratchet 18, when thecord 5 is pulled. to swing the lever 21, willturn the operating roller to wind the web thereupon and unwind the web. from the spring controlled roller for the display of another sign, and this operating is repeated until the'end of the route is reached. At the end vof theroute the pawl 25 is'turned to dotted position in Figure (land pawl 28 is also turned to dotted position, the former being in'operative'and the latter now operative for contact with the ratchet teeth.

' With pawl 28 in contact with a ratchet, a pull on the cord releases the pawl from the ratchet and 7 permits the spring controlled roller towind the web thereupon for the dis play of a new sign, and the turning movement of the operating roller is terminated when the ratchet encounters the advanced pawl.

Each turn of the hub on the threaded shaft together with the turn of the shaft, moves the hub and pawl longitudinally of the roller, and the pawl is thus adapted to engage a successively stepped tooth of the ratchet or series of teeth, and thus impart the turning movement to the operating roller.

The winding of the web from the top roller 3 to the bottom roller 2 increases the size of the latter and a complete revolution of the larger roller will display more of the sign nd lug 18 on the roller 2. In Figure 6 it will be seen that the lever 21 attached to the boss 22 and its arm 24 that carries the pawl 25 turns through a short arc before engaging the lug 18, which cuts down or limits the travel of the roller 2 when the lever 21 has passed through one movement due'to the pull of the cord 5.

It will be understood that as the roller 2 revolves the lever 21 is pulled forward and then lug with the pawl 25. This single pull on the lever rotates the roller one third of a revolution, and when the lever 21 is released it moves back to position, in Figure 4 to engage another succeeding lug with pawl. 25. The friction block 14 holds the roller 2 stationary against action of the spring roller 1 while the lever 21 moves back. 7 i

In rotating the roller 2 forward to wind the web upon itself, the pawl 25 is employed while the pawl 28 remains idle. WVhen it is desired to reverse the movement and wind the web on roller 1 the pawl 25 is moved to position dotted lines in Figure 6, and pawl 28 is also moved to dotted line position so that the latter pawl may engage the lugs to reverse the roller.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that while the roll 2 is rotating forward the pawl 28 is idle and when the motion is reversed the pawl 25 is idle. These pawls are resilient and they slide up and over the lugs when going back to engage a succeeding lug similar to a ratchet movement. 7

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is i 1. The combination with a spring controlled roller, an operating roller having stepped ratchets thereon, a shaft for the operating roller and a web connected to said rollers, of an operating lever pivoted on the shaft, reversible pawls carried by said lever for alternate co-action with said ratchets, and a spring for holding the lever in normal position.

2. The combination with a spring controlled roller, an operating roller having stepped ratchets thereon, a shaft for the operating roller, and a web connected to said rollers, of means for applying frictional tension on said shaft, a spring retained lever and a lever arm thereon, and a pair of reversible pawls carried by said ram for alternate coaction with the ratchets.

3. The combination in a changeable exhibitor as described with an operating roller and its shaft, of a lever pivoted on the shaft and co-acting means on the shaft and lever for causing longitudinal movement of the lever on the shaft, ratchets on the operating roller, a pawl carried by the lever for co-action with the ratchets, and a spring for holding the lever in normal position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. WILLIAM J. GRAY. 

